A WORLD IN COLOUR

 

Here's my latest page ... the first in a while as seasonal activities have meant there hasn't been as much time for my art journal as I'd like ...

However I sat down with a page and painted it yellow, then added some grey texture with paint and a baby wipe.

Then, as usual, I got stuck in monochrome mode and started to put down grey collage elements.  Its as if once my creative brain starts to work in a single colour, no others can be considered, and this is something I have to fight against.

Then, as I added shadows and black lines, I looked at the page and thought "what is going on here"?  I'm a person who loves and celebrates COLOUR!  (You should see the explosion of shades in my studio).

So I dug about in my collage stash and added some RED, to insist that my world could never be as grey as this! It also became a protest about the grey November day outside, and possibly the low mood I started out in.

I don't do well in the dark winter months and have to fight a tendency to curl up in a corner and hibernate ... but Christmas is coming and I'm fighting back!  Once we get past the longest day my mood always subtly lifts.

And for those of us who follow such things, the Christian season of Advent is almost upon us ... with its great cry of "Awake".  So I will.

THANK YOU ...

I was looking back at my journal pages (coming towards the end of book no.14) and couldn't help noticing that they deal a lot more with the things I struggle with than all the blessings in my life.  So I decided to redress the balance with this page, and made a positive start by painting it pink, which is my happy colour!

I added a pretty lady from my stash of clippings and started to draw and put down collage elements - trying always to resist my tendency to put a simple frame around the page.  Nothing wrong with doing that, but I do like to challenge myself to work in different ways.

While working I was thinking about how small my life has become - not getting out all that much, social life primarily online etc etc, usual self pity party.  Gave myself a good telling off for not appreciating what I do have - it may be a little life but it IS a good one, with friends and family, a whole host of hobbies and interests, and generally so much to be grateful for.

Lots of fun doodling and drawing on this page, as you can see - that's the part I enjoy most, getting in the zone and just playing with paint pens and collage.

Sorry I haven't written much here, but it was our youngest daughter's wedding this past weekend.  It was the most wonderful day in a historic hall in the city of York, but unsurprisingly it was also very very tiring.  Now back at home and planning to rest and recover most of this week .... but (at risk of vanity) I did want to demonstrate that I can clean up well when I have to!

PS if my hair looks a bit odd its because I am wearing a tiny little black hat!
Rosie x